We recently spent 4 nights in this welcoming resort and found it to be somewhat of a consternation. In the not too distant past this resort was manged by the Rendezvous group which seemed to have all manner of issue with the place. They have off loaded it to the Accor group, which have also had it's run off problems, so according to local gossip it is soon to be taken over again by the Oaks group. Good luck finding any signage that will match your booking slip. Just look for the big sign that says Broome Sanctuary Resort on Lullfitz Drive.

This is a beautifully designed resort - from the moment you enter, it is asthetics are pleasing to your senses. The central pool and gardens were a delight for us and our children even though we had wet weather for most of our trip. We had a 2 bedroom apartment that over looked the center pool, and we were very pleased with the washer, dryer, dishwasher, BBQ and oven. There was a playstation and a DVD player in the lounge and a small TV in the master Bedroom, on which you had a small selection of PayTV chanels. The central bathroom was a little small especially as with all the wet weather; I had to use the dryer a bit. One of those litter retractable cloths lines also made for some interesting ducking and weaving between the 4 of us. Something a small cloths horse could have eliminated. The most upsetting thing was how dirty the room was. The linen was fresh and clean but the floor was filithy. The little walk path from the patio to the pool was made with some type of small pebbles or shells. These would get stuck to the kids feet and shoes and be walked into the unit. On top of the wet weather it was soon becoming a problem as they were sharp, so I rolled up the bamboo mat under the coffee table to place near the sliding doors, only to spread about 200g of sand hiding in the mat all over the unit! I quickly found a broome and started to clean it up and it just didn't end...There was sand, grit, dirt and dusty cobwebs all over the unit. Of course once I was finished that was no dust pan and brush in sight. Called reception and they had one sent down for me. As with most serviced apartments you don't get a daily housekeeping service, not having a layer of grime on my feet when I hop into my n pressed hotel sheets is something I look forward to!

The other issue was that everything was closed - Day Spa, Restaurant, Room service, Swim Up cocktail bar, tour desk. While I concede that we were visiting in January which is technically off season for Broome, it was a public holiday/long weekend with many other resorts and restaurants fully booked and bustling. I booked a week in advance at 2 separate day spas because they couldn't offer me longer appointments...With the tourist/hospitality sector hurting so much can you really afford not to be open? In short this is not a resort. It's self catering apartments and villas. No pool towels either, so make sure you pack your own!

In the end this didn't worry us, as we had our own car, and due to the wet weather were happy to drive most places anyway. There are some lovely places along Cable beach to eat and drink as well as in town. However, if you had booked and were relying on hotel transfers to transport you after flying in, it could be a big problem. Although they would taking you out in the resort van complimentary, there was a fee to be collected or you would have to take a taxi home. Walking or cycling in wet season can be a downer, not to mention all the extra washing and drying you would have to do. In short this is still a lovely place to stay, but it was sad to me that the owners/managers didn't seem to care too much about it.

Maybe the Oaks group will help it reach it's full potential!